02/06/2003

UK pledges £50m to fight AIDS, TB and malaria

Some of the world's poorest countries are to benefit from an extra £50 million contribution from the UK government in the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria.

The funding, which is to be allocated between now and 2008, will go to the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. It aims to make more drugs and equipment available for treatment and prevention in the poorest countries - many of which are in sub-Saharan Africa. The government has previously committed £170 million to the fund.

The Secretary of State for International Development, Valerie Amos, said that 40 million people are living with HIV/AIDS and 2 million people will die from TB - a curable disease - this year.

Lady Amos said: "This commitment builds on our existing determination to make the Global Fund an effective institution in the fight against AIDS, TB and malaria and supports our efforts to achieve the Millennium Development Goals to cut child mortality and combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases".

The Department for International Development has increased its funding of programmes to combat HIV/AIDS from about £60 million in 1998-1999 to more than £250 million per year in 2002-2003.

Since 1997 the Department has committed more than £1.5 billion to the development of health services in poor countries.

The Global Fund was set up as a public-private partnership to mobilise more financial resources to make more drugs and commodities available in the poorest countries.

(SP)

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